Two data center projects in Kansas City – originally developed by Diode Ventures – will provide a funding mechanism for a new community career center aimed at serving 1,000 high school students in the Kansas City area. Funding from the data centers’ PILOT program (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) will provide nearly a quarter of the $74 million construction cost.  

The new career center will double the career center’s list of programs to 23, including jobs in construction and technology. In fact, community leaders noted those who have taken advantage of the career center’s services could help build the new facility.  

Diode Ventures developed the two data center projects – Golden Plains Technology Park and Rocky Branch Creek, in the early 2020s.  

- Golden Plains Technology Park spans Platte and Clay counties in the Kansas City metro area and, upon securing the land, Diode worked to de-risk and rezone the property to fit hyperscale data center needs. Diode worked with Velvet Technologies, Meta’s local project company, to secure a competitive incentive package, and has since sold the technology park to Meta. The incentives Diode helped to secure included a boost to the Smithville School District’s goal of teacher retention. The district reported they were able to add 7.5% to their base staff salary schedule, the largest amount ever added in a single fiscal year. The District attributed revenue from Golden Plains Technology Park for its ability to make the additions.  

- Rocky Branch Creek is a 500-acre development in Kansas City’s Northland. During the site development, Diode worked with the City of Kansas City to secure rezoning of the site to a Master Planned District in November 2022. The Port Authority of Kansas City, Missouri, approved market-leading incentives later that year, including a PILOT program to local entities including the City and school districts.  The project was sold to a hyperscale data center client in 2023.    

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